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Friday, October 26, 2012

Synopsis:"Mercer Mayer's very popular Little Critter stars in a picture book about feeling angry. With minimal text and funny illustrations to spell out every new situation, the book shows the Critter family saying no to everything Little Critter wants to do. He can't keep frogs in the tub. He can't help paint the house. Finally, mad at the world, Little Critter announces he will run away. When pals come by and ask him to come and play baseball, our young hero's mood quickly changes. He grabs his bat and heads off for the game, telling himself he can run away another day if he is still so mad."

My Review: First off if you don't love Little Critter books, you must be crazy! I remember this one specifically from when I was a kid and was so glad someone got it for my Munchkin. I Was So Mad is so typical, I remember I tried to run away when I didn't get my way too. Maybe thats why its such a great children's book, it gives a little peek into their mind and moods.

My Rating: Love to all the Little Critter books, but this one in particular holds a special place. I hope that Munchkin likes it as much as I did and can use it to show us when he is unhappy. I give it a rating of Four Paws and a Stump Wag!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

First, there has been a lot of talk how there aren't many young adult books that feature a male main character. Did you specifically set out to write Secret of Shadow with male readers in mind or did it just flow that way?

YES, definitely!! The main character is based on my son (whose name really is Thunderstorm!) and I definitely wanted to play to the all the boys who read Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and are hungry for more adventure stories.

I noticed a lot of references to mythology, particularly norse mythology (which I personally am thrilled with). Did you have a favorite myth or god/goddess?

I was influenced by my life-long love of Tolkien, and HIS love for Norse mythology; plus, I am deeply in love with the ancient story of Beowulf; so there's going to be more Nordic influences, including references to Beowulf, in the following books.

In Secret of Shadow we also get to travel from one end of the globe to the other. Have you done a lot of traveling? Do you have one place you really want to visit?

I actually haven't traveled at all! The places I'd love to visit are all of historical significance (I'm such a bore!) - Stonehenge, the pyramids, and ancient Greek and Roman ruins, especially Pompeii. No lounging on the beaches of Rio for me!

I loved the representation of each of the elements and the great familiars in the Secret of Shadow. Which element would you hope to be & which familiar would you want?

I'd want to be an Air elemental, with a unicorn for a familiar. Not terribly original, I'm afraid; when it comes to unicorns, I'm a super girly-girl!

Secret of Shadow leaves us hanging a little and anxious for the next adventure, any idea when we can expect to be able to read the second book in the series? Any hints at what we have to look forward to in it?

Hopefully the next volume will be released next year. Look forward to shocking plot twists with some major characters - also, look forward to some exotic scenery!

Eastern Sunset Reads is celebrating a second blogoversary and we are looking back at those moments and special books that got us hooked. Is there a particular book or moment that really got you hooked on reading and writing? Can you share a little story with us?

My earliest literary love was "The Hobbit", by the great J.R.R. Tolkien. My father started reading it to me nightly when I was only five or six; so Tolkien and I go way back! As a kid, I also loved the wacky adventures penned by Bruce Coville and Jane Yolen. As an adult, my true love is actually Stephen King.

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Thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to spend with myself and my readers here at Eastern Sunset Reads!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

So Wednesday is my official writing update day.
I have so many story projects going on and I need a push to get some done. So I
will be trying to post each Wednesday about how my writing adventures are going
(and I may need a swift kick in the pants by you guys
sometimes).

Current Active Project:

The Last Mountains - 13,468 (handwritten) =
15,766 (typed)

A equine
shapeshifting family is being hunted to near extinction and the young new leader
must go against all her lessons and approach the elite council for aide. Will
they help her? How will she keep her family's traditions and values alive, let
alone her herd?

Tamlyn Marie's Grace -

Think
Cinderella only with a matchmaker ;)

Other Works in Progress:

The New
Old Home - 17,193 words

Everyone dreams of winning the lottery, but what
would you do with that money? That is the question presented to Natalie, when
she is at the lowest point in her life, she is presented with an opportunity to
make any normal person's dreams come true, but all those winnings can't give her
what she wants most.

Princess Bs - 32,131 words

A story about
a woman, recently divorced and returned to her home town to figure out what is
next. She encounters an old friend and spends a weekend with him and his
daughters. Feelings that are long since buried are rising up again, but are her
recent loss and his current life going to stand in the way of their happily ever
after?

Night Rider - 17,229

Alice is a
recent high school graduate who is a very accomplished competitive rider in
Hunter/Jumper, Dressage, and Western/Rodeo. Her parents had arranged for her to
attend a private college on the east coast geared specifically to equine
professions. However, Alice wants to focus on her studies in English Literature.
When she arrives at the college she hides her riding abilities, but can she keep
her talent and love of horses hidden?

Other Ideas Plotting:

Bloodsoar's Story

A pegasus
struggles through life, ejected from the herd, near capture by
humans.

The Assassin's Assassin

A student
learns what the school is really teaching and sets out to destroy those who
support the program.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Synopsis:"Thunderstorm & the Elementals, Book One: The Secret of Shadow is an exciting juvenile fiction, fantasy & magic story that pre-teens, teens, and adults will embrace. Charbroiling a cheerleader, twisting a tornado in history class, darting head-on into a Shadow-wing dragon named Drakyus...it wasn't exactly how Thunderstorm Valdar had pictured his first day at his new school, Paracelsus Academy. Thunder and his family had just relocated from Chicago to Silver Oak, a move he wasn't thrilled about. Up until that fateful day, Thunder had been an ordinary - though socially awkward - teenager who didn't know that his uneventful life was about to change forever.Thunder is quickly initiated into a world of mages who can control fire, air, water, and earth - and who are aided and protected by gryphons, pegasai, seadrakens, naiads, and dragons.Just when Thunder thinks his day couldn't get any more craptacular, a dark socerer kidnaps his parents and Drakyus whisks Thunder and his new mage friends, Angel and Darius, off on a wild adventure to save them. Thunderstorm and his friends are forced to embark on a dangerous quest to find the seadraken Kanalia - the only one who can help them rescue Thunder's parents and avoid an evil trap. As they travel to the ends of the earth, battling trolls, naga, and giant sea creatures, they uncover truths about themselves as the battles between good and evil, light and shadow, threatens their mage world."

My Review: Woohoo! Probably one of the best Young Adult Fantasies I have read in a long long time! I loved this book and can't wait for Book 2 to come out. The Secret of Shadow was written by a fellow My Little Pony lover on the mlparena. That is how I discovered the book, wanting to support I purchased it, then if fell by the wayside as I read other books (which I really regret now). You get to join Thunderstorm as he discovers that not only is he a mage and that magic really exists but that he is an ultra rare multi - element -mage! While he is still absorbing this information he is thrown into a quest of life or death. Thankfully he has friends and his very own dragon familiar to help him along the way. This story is full of action and adventure, dotted with magic, myths and legends. I particularly loved how much norse mythology was in the story! It was great to read such a great story that was clean, all ages would enjoy reading Thunderstorm's adventures.

My Rating: This was so exciting, you can't help but turn the pages! I give it a rating of Four Paws and a Stump Wag!

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I have more exciting news!! I am going to give away a paperback copy of this book

and

TJ Silver has agreed to autograph the book for me!

So if you want your own signed copy of The Secret Shadow please enter below with Rafflecopter. ﻿

Ways to Enter:

Follow my blog (mandatory)

Post in the comments which elemental (earth, air, water, fire) mage would you want to be?

This giveaway is open to international people

You must be 15 years of age

The giveaway ends on October 30th at 12:00am by Rafflecopter
via random draw - Winner to be announced October 31st

Books Finished Last Week:Reviews will be posted at a later date
Donners Bend by Alexa V. James
One Little Christmas Tree by the Curto Family
Sarah Smiles by Seanpaul Thomas
The Secret Shadow by TJ Silver
Dog Trots Globe by Sheron Long

Cleo: The cat who mended a family by Helen Brown
- PB - on page 124 of 292
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - Audio - on Disc 6 of 12
Sippy Cups are Not for Chardonnay by Stefanie Wilder -Taylor - PB - on page 23 of 218

Next Books to be Read:

Under Camelot's Banner by Sarah Zettel -
Arthurian Legend Challenge

Soul of a Highlander by Melissa Mayhue - Mount
TBR Challenge

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Goodness, what a busy week!! Munchkin has been soo good this week, just hanging out with me reading, playing and snuggling. Finally starting to see the joy of it and it might have something to do with actually getting more sleep!

I have been getting some great reading done, in fact I have reviews posted all the way into November! Not to mention a great read along planned for the month of November, I hope you will all participate - and to give you a chance to get the book in time it will be Music Speaks, an anthology of music related short stories. I will be doing 2 stories a week. You can get your copy in ebook format on Amazon for $2.99 or in paperback format on Amazon for $6.99. Sorry but its not on Barnes and Noble (I should have told you all to get it earlier because I downloaded it when it was free).

I have also been getting excited for the holidays with Munchkin! We already got our halloween costumes started, got super cute outfits for him for Thanksgiving and been Christmas shopping!! I am making some gifts so I will be sure to share those with you when they are complete, I better get working since I am hoping to return to work in about three more weeks. Yikes! So much I want to do before then!

On that note I will leave you with an adorable picture of Mr. Munchkin!